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OS07/Transcript
This is the written version of #OnlineStar's seventh episode. Kira for real Somewhere in Tokyo, a huge, mainly white and modern building is brimming with people who are walking around, all with their own goals in their mind. The white floor of the first floor of the building is glimmering in the light of the rising sun as many foots step over it. Busy business men talk into their phones while crossing the Shibuya crosswalk, and a meeting room in said huge office building is filling with people. Looking from the outside of the building, one quickly learns that it's the main location and headquarter of the Virtnet company. The opening starts. In the late evening, Mai is talking to Rara via video call. "So? How was your day?" Mai asks her cousin. "Nice, nothing special though. We haven't talked in a while, have we?" "Yeah. I've been busy." "With what? Not-joining clubs?" Rara laughs. Just like Mai, she is laying on her bed, drawing something while talking. "I've joined a club!" Mai protests, making Rara laugh instantly. "Yeah, and I'm Santa Claus!" "Don't do as if that'd be impossible!" Mai responds laughing too. "Wait, you're serious?" "Yes, I am. The orchestra, to be exact." "Well, do you still play violin? I thought you stopped." "I started again." Mai explains. "Happy now?" Rara grins, "Yes, I am" While the two continue talking, a message arrives on Mai's computer, in Kira's inbox being sorted into the 'business' folder. "Huh? Hey, Rara-chan? I need to check something." Mai says once she notices the message. She raises and opens the message, realizing that it's directed to Kira. She mutes her phone before reading out the message, she received, saying a few things loud. "To Kira Star… VirtNet mascot 3038… New Character… Huh?" Mai's eye become big. "What?" "Mai? You're okay?" Rara's voice asks. Mai quickly raises and takes her phone. "Yeah… I just need to do something important.." She says before realizing that her phone is muted. She repeats the same, and this time, her cousin can hear her. "Well… Okay?" Rara starts. "See you!" Mai quickly says, ending the call. She stays unmoving for a few seconds, before sighing. "Okay..." She says and returns to the computer, opening the message again. "Kira is asked to become VirtNet's next mascot… That's awesome!" Happily, she turns around on her desk chair, before realizing something. "Wait… But how am I going to explain that I am Kira? I still haven't solved this sub-tag problem…" She sighs. "I'd love to be VirtNet's mascot. Kira'd gain a new audience. But I can't just appear there. I'd need to explain why I've got two main accounts…" A little bit later, Mai and her mother are sitting in the living room and eating. "Did anything happen today?" Her mother asks. "Not really." Mai replies. Everything seems to be a regular evening dinner conversation. The two casually talk about school and work, and none of them seems to be very interested in it. "Did anything happen elated to Kira-chan?" Her mother then asks. Mai smiles a bit, happy that her mother now agrees that she may be Kira. Mai takes another bite before telling her mother of the e-mail, she got earlier. "Hmm… It sounds interesting and nice, if you think about the opportunities, Kira'd gain. But I agree, her origin is kind of mysterious." Rena sighs. "Oh, everything seems like a novel! Now, the first confrontation with the true enemy follows and-" Mai sighs, looking at her mother impatient, "Mum…?" "Oh, yeah. Well, I know some high-ups working at the VirtNet company. Should I consul them?" She asks. "What? No! I can handle that on my own!" Mai exclaims surprised, but also a bit anxious. "I don't really want you to get involved to it. I will handle that on my own." Following dinner, Mai returns to her room, wondering what to do now. She sits down in front of her piano, playing the melody of Sora Kara Hoshi ga Ochita Shunkan while thinking. "It would be great promotion for Kira…" She says, "But I don't want to have problems too. And I doubt they'd understand the situation. It's not like it sounds realistic either way…" She adds. "I could reread the terms of service and look if there is a hole in which Kira could fit, but I doubt that I'd be able to find anything that fits…" She lays back, sighing annoyed. Her glace trails towards her computer where the message is still displayed. "I guess, there is no other way." She tells herself before starting to type. "I'll decline." In the next morning, Mai is about to leave for school when a message arrives once again. Standing in the landing already, Mai turns around, curious about the message. She sits down, opening the message again and reading over it quickly. "Huh? Another one from VirtNet?" She says while reading it. "Of course… Identity …. Kept secret…. Kira'd benefit… New feature that'd fit perfectly to Kira… Hmm?" She looks up. "So… They want to reveal an new feature that'd fit perfectly to Kira-chan? But even though, I don't want to get problems… But I wonder what's this new feature too…" She sighs while looking outside. "I didn't read the message yet." She decides, putting her phone into her back and leaves for school. Later on, while sitting in front of the piano, likely in lunch break, Mai is still thinking about the message. Impatiently waiting for a solution to fly through the window, she continuously plays two notes of the piano. "Yes? No?... Oh, c'mon… I can't decide…" She says, letting her head fall onto the piano. A minute full of sighing and grumbling later, the school bell rings, making Mai remember that she has got classes to attend. She sighs, raising. She puts down her phone to start collecting her books and music sheets, before putting them into her bag. She takes her phone, starting to write something. "In the end, I decided to say no either way. It sounded interesting, but eventually, I'd learn of the new feature with the rest of the world." Mai speaks from the off while leaving the room. After school, Mai takes out her phone again. She is leaving the school grounds while looking onto her phone. She wants to reread the message, she received yesterday, despite having sent an explanation why to them, she thinks. While doing so, she almost falls over her own foots, grumbling over her own clumsiness. "Excuse me?" Someone says while Mai is still looking onto her phone. She looks up, and almost runs into the man who stands in front of her. "Huh? Oh! I'm sorry!" Mai says, logging out herself from her phone as fast as possible. "No problem, don't worry." The man replies. "You don't happen to know Sakaki Mai? She should be a student here." "Huh?" Mai looks up, confused. She doesn't recognize the person, but replies, "Um… Yeah, I do. Sakaki Mai is my name." "That's nice. Saves time, and it doesn't make me need to ask around the whole afternoon." "Um… What would you want from me?" "Talk. I'd like to talk." The situation starts to scare Mai. She trembles, waiting for him to continue. "What does he want…?" She wonders in her mind, "That doesn't sound good at all…" Looking to him and back to the school, she starts to wonder what to do, "Should I talk to him, or should I excurse myself and go home? I don't know him at all!" "Would you mind leaving this place? It's… a bit unfitting for the conversation." Mai immediately shakes her hand, "No, no, no!" She speaks out before thinking, "Um… Ehm… I'm sorry, but… um… I…" The person sighs, "You don't happen to watch news concerning digital releases, do you?" Confused, Mai shakes her head, "No… Why? If I want to know anything, I ask Luca. He knows enough." "My name is Hirota Arata. I work as chief developer for VirtNet." "Huh…?" Mai is confused, "… VirtNet…?" In her mind, she adds something else, "Again?" "How come… that you want to talk to me?" Mai asks hesitating. "Ah." Arata replies, "Yeah. Mind if we leave your schools entrance? It's nothing to be heard by other ears." "Hm..? What?" Mai asks. "That's exactly what you surely want to not be told openly." He replies, "Hmm… I couldn't visit you at home later either…" "Wait! You know where I live?" "IP track." He openly replies, "… and our data base." "Isn't that kind of illegal?" Mai asks surprised and frightened. Arata grins, turning away from Mai. He only looks a bit to Mai before shooting back, "Isn't it illegal to have two main VirtNet accounts?" He asks before stalking to walk. Now, Mai is afraid and curious at the same time, after realizing that he is walking away, she takes her bag and starts walking. Arata enters the train station close to the park, and Mai is only able to catch him there. "Say, Mai, would you mind listening to me for once?" Arata asks while looking to the people in the station. Hesitating, Mai nods, not knowing whenever she really wants to do this. "I've always enjoyed working with computers and social networks. As I just told you, I am a part of the VirtReality development team, to be exact, their head. Developing this feature was incredible fun. I've done similar, smaller things like this in my free time at home, but at some point, I've wondered what would have happen if he hadn't told me to continue this." "He?" "My father. I don't live with him, neither did I in the past. I don't know my sister either. He is a generous man, full of innovative ideas, plans and things, no one could have imagined. He encouraged me to continue this, and here I am, happy with my life. He gave me the opportunity, and I took it. I think, you should do the same." "Huh?" Mai is confused. "Mai-chan, why do you think did I visit you today?" He asks. "Um…" She doesn't know an answer. "I'd like to try to convince you of changing your mind." "Huh?" "I do not know your reasons, but I'd like to invite you again. I am sure that both Kira and the VirtNet would profit of an official collaboration." Silence falls between the two while Mai stares at Arata. "…What?" "I'd like to repeat the offer that Kira Star becomes VirtNet's official mascot in this year." Mai seems to need a lot time to realize it. "What?! You know that I'm Kira?" "I already said that before." He laughs, "Mai-chan, I know a lot about you." "Wait! Do you know what's behind Kira and the program?" Arata grins, "I don't want to spoiler you." He tells her. "What?! Spoiler me? What do you mean? That's important." "Don't worry. It's nothing bad." "That doesn't change it!" Arata grins as the train reaches the station, "Well, isn't that your train?" "Um… Yes? But-" "Shouldn't you take it?" "But-" "I'd hurry if I was you." Arata adds, pushing Mai into the train. "See you later." "Wait! What?!" Mai calls while being pushed into the train. "A few days later" Mai speaks from the off as she leaves school running. While she is running, she almost stumbles over the curb, catching herself in the last seconds. She shouts an excuse to the other students while running towards the station. "I'm late!" She shouts as explanation. "Eriko-senpai asked me about my opinions for a change in the arrangement of an orchestra project, and I got lost in it." She explains from the off now, while continuing running through the street, and then the park. She adds an ironic "Of course, I was late." to it. "The last days were awesome and horrible at the same time." She explains while running through the park, "Arata-san 'convinced me'. Or rather, threatened me with the fact that he knows that I'm Kira, and everything. While I don't think that'd he's seriously threatening me, I've gotta' play safe. For Kira's and my sake." She enters Radiant Garden station, "But, the 'new feature', VirtNet will release soon, it's awesome!" She smiles as she enters the station, starting ti skip down the stairs, "But.. Kira-chan… will be late!" The thought makes reminds her to hurry up. The train, however, has left the station already. Mai sighs. "I wonder… Hirota-san said that he'd tell me what's behind Kira, if she'd play mascot… But why, if he knows about the program, would he need me? Luca can animate anime characters too, so why wouldn't they do the same with Kira? They surely have better programs than Luca has got…" She says aloud. "That's weird…" The train finally arrives, and Mai enters as fast as possible. She looks onto her watch which produces a holo screen with the time, including a message from April. 17:45 April Parker: Do we still meet today? Mai quickly takes out her phone, sending a reply. 17:45 Sakaki Mai: No, sorry. Have something important to do. 17:45 Luca Parker: Oh, okay. Good luck. Mai sighs and leans back, glaring towards the next station's name on the display. "Please hurry." She thinks. In front of middle school division's main building, April and Luca are looking on their phones. "I wonder what Mai has been doing lately. She almost never has time anymore…" April says to her twin brother with a worried face. "Something's off." Luca agrees. Finally, the train stops and Mai leaves as fast as possible. "I'm definitely late!" She thinks while running and almost stumbling over the stairs at the entrance of the station. A bit later, Mai reaches the huge, white building and enters it. Stunned, she looks around herself. Many people, she recognizes some of them as journalists, are walking around. All but Mai seem to know where to go. "Excuse me? Is it possible that I can help you?" Someone suddenly asks Mai. Surprised, she turns around. The young woman, she faces, looks at her impatient and annoyed. "This is not a playground." She explains. "Huh? I... um… know…" Mai replies hesitating. She scared by the woman. "Then, how does it come that a girl at your age is spending her free time in the lobby? Shouldn't you be… playing games, going shopping or watching TV?" "Um…" Mai looks around herself, hoping for anyone to help her. "What should I do?" Mai asks herself thinking, "I don't want to tell her that I'm Kira…" "I am listening" The woman repeats. "Well, I mean… Um…" "Akane, hello. How are you?" Someone suddenly says. It's Arata who casually steps towards the two. "Arata? What are you doing here?" "Finally finding out guest." Arata replies, pointing towards Mai with his head. "Arata? With all respect. You've got a press conference in-" She looks onto her tablet, "five minutes. This press conference is important, likely the most important press conference in this year. Especially you should know that." "I do, I do, Akane." Arata repeats light hearted. "Then, how do you plan to take care of a child?" "I'm sure that she'll be able to take care onto herself too." Arata replies before walking away again. Hesitating, Mai follows him. The two enter a grey corridor. "And I already thought that you changed your mind." Arata replies laughing, "Should have predicted you standing around in the lobby. Why didn't you just come to the press conference room? You've been here at the last rehearsal." "Why are press conferences rehearsed?" Mai asks, unhappy about his comment. "Because today, humanity doesn't forget anything. And I don't want them to know single slipper forever." He smiles a bit before opening the door which leads to the press room. A bright, white light illuminated the room, followed by rainbow colours. Arata, whose VirtReality avatar is exact the same as his natural appearance, but he seems to be surprised about the VirtReality realm. Kira, next to him, starts walking as if nothing had changed. "Is anything?" The red-head asks surprised. Arata grins again, and follows Kira. "I'm just surprised. VirtReality realms still surprise me, and I am part of the development team. You're a natural. You don't happen to be a gamer in secret?" "Oh, so the almighty VirtNet data base doesn't know that?" Kira responds. Arata, surprised by Kira's answer, shrugs, "Didn't check. Should I?" Both laugh, until Arata speaks up again. "But you're seriously a natural." Kira shrugs too, before the two enter the realm completely. "Of course," Mai voice adds in her mind, "I didn't tell him that VirtReality was almost the same as using the OnlineStar program." She smiles. "Three, two, one, we're live!" Someone calls from the part of the realm that isn't recorded by the live stream program. Arata, alongside other VirtNet persons, is quickly the centre of attention of the journalists. "Good evening, everyone here at VirtNet's headquarters, and good evening to everyone watching all over the world." Aside of the journalists, April and Luca, Rara, Ayu and her friends, and many other people are watching the live stream too, but from home. "I am quite sure that you all here are confused about the measurements that have been taken earlier. But a word to that later. My name is Hirota Arata, and I am the chief developer of VirtNet's development team. Today, we all of VirtNet have a few new and existing announcements to be revealed." Kira is watching the whole opening from the 'shadows' of the room. "The realm is almost exact the same as the actual press conference, the real one." Kira thinks, "The place, we actually are in, is a virtual world." She thinks. It takes a while until the announcements that aren't related to Kira are finished. Finally, 'screen' behind the VirtNet team lights up, and shows Connecti, the ice blue-white bear. "Everyone~!" The small being greets the public, "It's nice to meet you again!" The mascot waves happily. "So-so, today, I want to announce something too!" The bear smiles, "I will go onto a holiday! A very loooong holiday! I will visit Connecticut and eat ice cream!" Of course, the journalists are confused when faced with the revelation. "How should a digital mascot go on vacation?" "What exactly does that mean?" "Will there be a change in mascot terms again?" The questions are shot towards the team that is waiting for the video to finish. None of them speaks up. "So… I've even organized a substitute!" Connecti happily announces and waves, obviously into the direction of Kira who knows that this is her part to speak up. "Hey-Ho! Kira-chan!" From the other side of the 'room', Kira smiles and waves towards the mascot that is now 'leaving' the screen. Kira repeats the phrase, Connecti said earlier, "Hey-Ho!" She says melodic. While Kira joins the bear on the stage, the journalists have started asking questions again. None of the knowing persons in the room plans to speak up though. "Everyone, good evening." Kira greets the watchers now, "I am Kira Star, it's a pleasure." She bows, "And, as Connecti-san just said, from today on, I will be presenting VirtNet in public, as a substitute-" She smiles, "to Connecti-san." "Unfair! You're taller than me! No one will pay attention to me now!" "I am afraid, you will need to blame the designers for that." Arata comments, before stepping towards them. "And, towards everyone watching, I am sorry, but now, I cannot explain yet the way, our beautiful magical trick is working." Arata tells them, "Because, before that, we would like to continue an old tradition." He elegantly points towards the 'screen', and Kira and Connecti step aside to clear the view. The screen is left black, excluding the white letters that appear on the screen now. "To everyone in the world who is following right now, Since the first announcement in 2115, we've been working on a new level of technology that is meant to connect people all over the world on a even closer level. Our planet, the beautiful Earth, is too large, and it's even today, it's impossible to cross our home planet's surface within seconds if someone wants to meet a distant friend in 3D. Meeting them in reality by traveling for just a few seconds will likely stay impossible forever, but we've decided to create another 'reality' that will make that possible – virtual reality, on a even more realistic level than video games have been until now. The best developers of our world have been working together in the last years to realize this idea. Right now, when you will be reading this letter, you will be experiencing this new reality already. I hope that you will enjoy your visit to the realization of years of hard work. Please enjoy this new world. And please remember. We of VirtNet will never stand still. - SO" Kira reads the letter silently, before returning to the centre of the 'stage', aside of Connecti which she now holds. "Very soon, we will release the newest feature and add-on to VirtNet, Virtual Reality." Arata proudly announces, "And, the place, we are in, might look like the room, we'd hold a press conference in, but it isn't." He says, "To explain what VirtReality is, I'd like to show everyone this. A first example are Connecti and Kira-san who both are no existing personalities in the real world, but yet, seem to stand here as if they'd be real." Kira nods, "Virtual Reality is what the name tells one. A VR experience that until now has been difficult to realize on a realistic level." Kira explains. Arata continues, "Of course, we do not need to stay in this room. Technically, we could go to Paris in France." He explains, and bright light in all colours of the rainbow fills the room. The surprised audience finds themselves in front of the Eiffel tower. "Or New York!" Connecti announces, and the light that changes the realm's appearance returns, ending with showing the statue of liberty in the background instead of the screen, and the audience on a street between sky scrapers. "Or the space." Kira segues into the next part of the press conference. The journalists and press visitors find themselves on a satellite flying in the air. Just like all other staff members that are in the realm. Only Kira is not on the satellite but on a mix of stardust and planetary nebula. The Earth's surface is far below the visitors who don't feel "Expect the gravity options with the next update." Arata comments joking as one of the journalists asks. "And, as final of today's evening, you've seen visual effects and felt the VirtReality. Let's continue with sound!" Kira starts, "Music, start!" Kira points towards the sky. Not only the music but also shooting stars start flying all around the audience that is still surprised by the realm. She starts singing 'Sora kara Hoshi ga Ochita Shunkan'. After the press conference, Kira is looking around herself. "Now, he's owning me something." She whispers to herself. Obviously, the realm is still active. "Hirota-san promised to tell me about Kira…" The ending starts. Following the ending, somewhere in a darkish room, someone is sitting in front of a computer, typing down something. Someone enters the room, closing the door carefully. "The press conference went without a problem." The person, Arata, reports. "And how is she?" "Kira-san? I might needed to use some… questionable methods to convince her-" "What did you do?" The mysterious man immediately asks. The computer's weak light doesn't show is face, only his glasses and white hair are visible. "I spoke to her in person." Arata explains, slightly reserved after what the mysterious person spoke before. "How did she react?" "Surprised, I'd say. I told her that I know that she is Kira, and told her to that I know what's behind the OnlineStar System." "You did what?" The mysterious person asks angry. "I'm not planning to do so, though." "Good. Rena wouldn't want that. Please leave now." He, now calm, orders. Arata leaves without a word. On the computer, a not-too old picture is displayed. It's a class portrait of class 1-B of Radiant Garden's high school division, and the zoom focuses no one else but Sakaki Mai who shyly smiles. Category:User:Millyna Category:OnlineStar Category:Transcripts Category:OnlineStar Transcripts